1. Use a brown sugar bear -- a small terra cotta disc (often in the shape of a bear or other decorative shape) made just for this purpose. You can find them in kitchenware shops for a few dollars. Simply moisten the terra cotta disc in some water, and then pop the disc into the sealed container of brown sugar. Voila! Gorgeous, fresh brown sugar.

2. Add a slice of bread or apple to the sealed brown sugar container. This adds moisture to the brown sugar for a really long time.

3. If your brown sugar has already gone hard, you'll find that microwaving a portion of it will soften it up instantly!